CHAPTER 43: CHAPTER 43: IMPERSONATION

The notorious villain Qingbai thus concealed his name, marrying and having children, living like an ordinary person.

Because Chen Guan had such a father, he had to be cautious in everything he did, and he dared not have any contact with the Ancestral Court, fearing that someone would discover his family background.

However, Chen Guan held no grudge against his father. Even though he betrayed the world, he did not betray Chen Guan and his mother, so Chen Guan had no reason for resentment.

To others, Qingbai was a great villain, but to Chen Guan, he was a competent father.

If not for this identity, Chen Guan would have been eager to join the Celestial Court Army. Unfortunately, he was too afraid of background checks, uncertain whether they would uncover his father’s true identity, fearing even a slight chance of exposure.

"I want very much to join the Celestial Court Army, but I want to stay alive even more," Chen Guan said calmly.

He now had a new understanding of Ji Nanhong’s background, being able to suggest that someone like him, just a recent graduate and without a Second Awakening, could join the Celestial Court Army; it was a testament to Ji Nanhong’s formidable background.

Ji Nanhong was somewhat infuriated by this and opened her mouth to say something, but her red lips only trembled a few times, and in the end, she said nothing.

She had come to see right through Chen Guan: he might look like a decent person, but his courage was smaller than a peanut, and he dared not take any risks.

Ji Nanhong realized she didn’t have any other leverage, and even if she did, she probably couldn’t persuade Chen Guan to take risks.

"I do have one idea, but I’m not sure if you’d be willing to try it," Chen Guan spoke up just as Ji Nanhong was at her wit’s end.

"Go ahead and tell me," Ji Nanhong wanted to hear what Chen Guan’s idea was.

Chen Guan glanced at the shadow on the stone wall, then slowly said, "If it’s true as you say, that the shadow was left by the Emperor Ancestor to guard the ’Apang Scripture,’ then as long as we master the ’Apang Scripture’ and ensure its legacy, its responsibility would be fulfilled."

Ji Nanhong’s cheeks flushed slightly upon hearing this, and she secretly spat to herself: "I asked you for Dual Cultivation before, and you refused. Now you’re saying this, still aiming to Dual Cultivate with me."

"Not necessarily. Who decreed that the ’Apang Scripture’ could only have one successor? Even if it needs only one, the shadow might not leave after the task is done," Ji Nanhong raised these points, feeling oddly cheerful.

"Of course, no one decreed that the ’Apang Scripture’ could only have one successor, and I never said the shadow would leave," Chen Guan said calmly.

"Then what do you mean?" Ji Nanhong was somewhat perplexed, unsure of what Chen Guan intended to say.

Chen Guan leaned close to Ji Nanhong’s ear and whispered, "If the stories you told about the Emperor Ancestor and Ah Pang were true, then this island and everything on it were meant for Ah Pang. However, before Emperor Ancestor stormed the Celestial Secret Realm, Ah Pang could not be revived, and this place fell into neglect due to Emperor Ancestor’s disappearance."

"That seems to be right. Is there a problem with that?" Ji Nanhong pondered.

"The problem lies in that, since everything here was prepared for Ah Pang, how could the Emperor Ancestor allow others to easily meddle? Wouldn’t he have prepared means to prevent others from cultivating the ’Apang Scripture’?" Chen Guan explained.

Ji Nanhong found some sense in this, but still said, "Perhaps the Emperor Ancestor departed too abruptly to leave enough restrictions; otherwise, how could we have entered here?"

"You were born on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, correct?" Chen Guan did not refute her, changing the subject.

"Why do you ask that?" Ji Nanhong frowned.

"If my guess is correct, Ah Pang should have been born on the fifteenth day of the seventh month as well, so those who can enter here should also be born on this day and be transported to the Pingdu Mountain Blessed Land on the same day to reach this island. This is the first layer of the Emperor Ancestor’s insurance," Chen Guan stated his hypothesis.

"You are indeed correct," Ji Nanhong clearly had known this all along.

"With such restrictions in place, along with the Shadow Guardian Scripture, do you think with the Emperor Ancestor’s cunning, he would allow others to take what belonged to Ah Pang? Would he let others cultivate the secret techniques meant for Ah Pang?" Chen Guan continued his analysis.

"Given the Emperor Ancestor’s strategic brilliance, he certainly would not," Ji Nanhong was taken aback for a long time before sighing gently; she had indeed been too idealistic before.

"So unless you are Ah Pang, cultivating the scriptures on the mountain wall would surely lead to a dead end," Chen Guan stated confidently.

Ji Nanhong furrowed her brows slightly, "Even if we don’t practice now, wouldn’t it be the same if we do it later when we leave?"

"So it is essentially impossible for us to leave," Chen Guan said.

Ji Nanhong stared blankly at Chen Guan, her face gradually turning pale.

She completely understood Chen Guan’s meaning now: they were not Ah Pang, so the Emperor Ancestor would not let them leave alive.

"If so, why hasn’t the shadow acted to kill us? It wouldn’t be a difficult task," Ji Nanhong reconsidered and found a flaw.

"Because his intelligence is limited, unable to determine whether we are Ah Pang or not. Ah Pang has long since died, and the Emperor Ancestor couldn’t have brought her here for the shadow to recognize, so the shadow doesn’t know Ah Pang; it must verify through some method whether we are the ones the Emperor Ancestor left it to await. I guess this method should become evident during our practice of the Dual Cultivation Technique or after completing it."

"If that’s the case, we mustn’t practice the Dual Cultivation Technique. Do you have any other ideas?" Ji Nanhong became increasingly baffled by what Chen Guan meant by his ideas earlier.

"Who said we couldn’t practice the Dual Cultivation Technique?" Chen Guan smiled as he spoke.

Ji Nanhong became somewhat confused by Chen Guan, frowning as she looked at him, "You said practicing the Dual Cultivation Technique would expose our identities to the shadow, and now you’re saying we can. What do you mean exactly?"

"I mean, we can practice the Dual Cultivation Technique, but without letting the shadow recognize that we’re not Ah Pang, or even make it think we are Ah Pang," Chen Guan said to himself.

"How is that possible?" Ji Nanhong thought Chen Guan was talking about fantasies.

The design left by the Emperor Ancestor couldn’t be so easily fooled.

"Why not? We, like Ah Pang, were born on the fifteenth of the seventh month. Our arrival here proves we share significant similarities with Ah Pang," Chen Guan replied.

With a peculiar expression, Ji Nanhong looked at Chen Guan, "It’s one thing for me to impersonate Ah Pang, but how can you, a man, impersonate Ah Pang?"

"Who said I was going to impersonate Ah Pang? A Dual Cultivation naturally requires a man and a woman. Didn’t you say this Dual Cultivation Technique was prepared by the Emperor Ancestor for himself and Ah Pang? You impersonate Ah Pang, and naturally, I will impersonate the Emperor Ancestor. Why would I impersonate Ah Pang, making two Ah Pangs?" Chen Guan whispered to Ji Nanhong with a smile.